Priceline

Hair care can be an arduous task and to be honest most time I’m too lazy to (hair) care. (;
So, when my normal routine can do all the work for me, I’m probably a little bit too excited.

I like to keep my hair low maintenance, so why I decided to ‘go blonde’ is beyond me. Any brunette to blonde will tell you, its an expensive rode to walk down to hair that is undeniably going to turn to straw if you don’t care for it. That, or just snap off…

So when I had my first round of bleaching I knew I had to get in on some hair care ASAP! thank goodness for Priceline, their hair care sale was just a few days after my appointment so I picked up some products that I’m going to share with you because, as luck would have it the Priceline hair care sale is happening this week: Thursday the 12th and Friday the 13th (oooohhh) of October.

The first products I added into my hair care regime were the ‘Sheer Blonde Colour Renew Tone-Correcting shampoo and conditioner by John Frieda. As you can see by the less than pristine packaging I used them all up! I really enjoyed this product and in fact I went to re purchase it but it was sold out of either the shampoo or the conditioner and I like using them as a set so I picked up something else instead.

Brass be gone: I found it knocked back the brassy tones that were showing through. I used this shampoo and conditioner 1 to 2 times a week and it kept my hair looking yellow blonde instead of orange blonde which I really liked.

Price: $17.99 each per 250ml – full price

Smell: Not that many will care, but this shampoo and conditioner smell so nice and leave the hair smelling so for at least two days afterwards.

Aftermath: The conditioner does a really nice job at eliminating breakages AND detangling. Because my hair is naturally fine, long and curly/wavy tangles are a constant which mean hair breakage and split ends are a daily struggle. This conditioner once massaged into the lengths of my hair made it easy to brush out. Hair felt silky and smooth for days.

When I went in to purchase the John Frieda again and saw that one was sold out, I came across the Fudge version. It’s the Fudge Clean Blonde Violet Toning Shampoo and Conditioner. Clean blonde… is that a play on words of dirty blonde? I don’t know, but it’s clever. It was slightly more expensive than the John Frieda, but there is more product so I thought, “eh, why not. People have recommended Fudge products in the past.. I’ll give it a go”. I’ll say it now. I really like this duo.

Brass be gone: Wow, this sometimes works too well! I have almost white blonde ends and if I use too much of this I feel like they go grey/silver/purple. I don’t hate it but just be warned. A little goes a long way. Apply it to hands and work through the lengths of your hair don’t apply straight to hair.

Price: $21.99 each per 300ml – full price

Smell: It smells sweet, like confectionary. Almost like lolly bananas? Totally odd but not at all unpleasant. It has a powdery sweet linger to the hair.

Aftermath: Apart from the possible purple ends, this duo does a great job at keeping the brass at bay. My hair tends to get a little bit fluffy if I leave it to air dry after washing, but my hair does feel very soft. I think it would work well on thicker hair that doesn’t tend to fly around like my fine hair does.

A word of caution. As you will see in a photo below, the shampoo is quite purple. I found once I’d finished in the shower there were purple toned water drops everywhere and I was worried it’d staid the grout in the tiles. (Raise your hand if you’re pedantic about tile grout 🙋🏻) it does however wash away easily.

Another note about staining, my fingernails are a violet colour. Especially around the cuticles. For a week I didn’t know how it had t washed off and then I realised it must have stained the roots / my scalp because every time I’d run my fingers through my roots or scratch my head my nails would be purple again so make sure you wash this product out super well. I’ve never had an issue with any other violet shampoo before. Just this one.

Once every one to two weeks I like to treat myself to a hair mask. My hair is naturally quite fine and dry and b cause of that, prone to breakage so I like to give it a boost every now and then. I’ve been using the Masque brand for a while and I’ve tried out 3 of their other masks and really enjoy them. Out of a packet this size I get at least 6 treatments.

Because I use purple shampoo and conditioner intermittently with my regular shampoo and conditioner I sometimes like to let this mask soak in and act as a deep conditioning toner treatment and I find it works quite well.

Brass be gone: I feel like it’s at the same level as the John Frieda. But because I can leave this on longer. It varies. Sometimes I mix in a tiny amount of the Fudge shampoo for a bigger kick.

Aftermath: No staining so that’s a plus. Hair is hydrated and smooth and has a decent amount of the brass kicked back. Hair smells nice and is super soft.

Here you can see the different variations of purple. In my mind the darker the colour the stronger the affect. Left to right is John Frieda, Fudge and Masque. This is only the shampoo (obviously the Masque is just the Masque) the conditioner of both are much more pale in colour.

You can see that the J/F is much more runny than the other two, and also the lightest. That being said I’d still use it again. The other two are quite thick. These swatches were on my hand for 5 mins maximum and the middle one (Fudge) did stain slightly.

After all is said and done, I’d still use any of these products again and I recommend you try them if you’re in the market from some purple shampoo. Just pay close attention when using the Fudge!

A few months ago a spotted the new Australis liquid strobe illuminating/highlight drops in my local Priceline and jumped at the chance to try them. Having dry skin I love trying new cream and liquid products. They retail for $19.95 so they are a bit pricey if you’re going to get them both, or if you’ve got an extensive highlighter collection. If you don’t or if you just want them anyway and want to know what I think about them, then read on, dear friend, read on.

First Impression: Pretty but eh..

When I was swatching them on my hand, I instantly fell in love with them, they give off the prettiest natural sheen, no chunky glitter at all, but after a little while of rubbing the product in, I noticed it started to separate especially in the spot where I’d had foundation on my hand from previous swatches, – not cute. This put a halt on me wanting to use them on my face. I removed them with a makeup wipe and did another test, this time I used less product, made sure there were no oils on my hand and swatched again – success!

I wasn’t blessed with beautiful hands, so just imagine they’re food network quality hand model hands. The two shades are so pretty, I hope they come out with more to suit everyone as I can really only wear the pink shade. I wear both because I do what I want! But the gold one looks good when I have some kind of tan.

How I use it: Daily glow!

This is my go to glow for days when I’m not wearing any makeup – work, uni, errands. On days such as this I only do my brows, mascara and highlight. So here is a pic of me in my ‘every day’ glory – dry skin and freckles galore!

that nose highlight tho…I mainly go for the forehead, tip of the nose, cupids bow (my favourite), chin and then cheek bones.

#sneakymirrorselfie (;

Tips and Tricks: apply sans sponge!

I found that using a small amount and blending it in with fingers works best, and then with your brush or beauty sponge just *dab* around the edges to blend it into foundation or skin.

The Product // Final thoughts:

The product has a silicone/slippy feel to it but it doesn’t feel gross on the skin. It has a pretty good liquid time before it sets so it gives you plenty of time to finesse it and work it into place. Adding little at a time to build intensity is my favourite way to use it. Once it sets it is in place for good! Doesn’t transfer or rub off and because its a liquid it doesn’t have that layer of powder look / feel. – for me thats great, my skin is like the Sahara desert, the less power the better.

These also look beautiful mixed in with other products – foundation, tinted moisturiser etc. Work well on the face and the body.

While its no lie that I love Australis products – I could probably do a full face with all A/C products, this is another great one and I think its worth trying out! Plus, the dropper applicator is super fun. Products with droppers are almost guaranteed to go home with me.

Things I’ve noticed: I’m a detective.

No smell

Easy to work with

Good amount of product for price

Glass jars – be careful

Not gloopy – product is quite thin

No chunky glitter

Let me know if you’ve used these or are thinking about purchasing. I’m nosey so tell me your life stories (:

Y’all should know by now that I’ve got dry skin all day every day, I’m a desert. With the cold weather now in full swing my already dry skin is becoming dehydrated (yay) so I’ve had to up the moisture intake to my epidermis. If you’ve got dry skin like me, or finding your skin is drying out due to the weather conditions and need some extra moisture, this post is for you!

Now, I’ve talked about these products in hauls and some got their own dedicated posts, but today I’m here to talk about my love for the Neutrogena Hydro-Boost range. The range consists of: Hydro Boost Mask 5 pack, Hydro Boost Water Gel (daily moisturiser), Hydro Boost Night Concentrate, Hydro Boost Eye Roll-On, Hydro Boost Moisturising Foaming Cleanser and Hydro Boost Water Gel SPF. It has come to my attention there is also a daily serum I don’t have that but its on my “get it now, get it now” shopping list. So today I’m going to talk about everything else.

When I use these products I try to use them day and night for at least a whole week before changing up my skincare again.

Every morning I cleanse my face, its important to do this so you’re not layering makeup on top of a dirty face trapping in germs and nasties that can cause breakouts. The Hydro Boost cleanser is a foaming cleanser and unlike other cleansers in this form, it doesn’t leave my skin dry (it would be pretty redundant if it did).

Someones a happy cleansing chappy. Usually I would do this step in the shower or over a basin, but today I do it for the blog! I work the cleanser into my skin using circular motions. I spend extra time focusing on the areas around my nose and jawline – ear area. I find this area gets neglected and can sometimes have a buildup of makeup. This product feels so silky in the skin and once rinsed off my face feels clean without feeling stripped of anything important.

Tone

Because there is no toner in the range, I thought I’d mention the one I use when I’m using this skincare. It is another Neutrogena product, I figure they’re the same brand so they should work well together. I switch between these two toners. I use the Pore Refining toner for when I’m having a more hardcore skincare regime. But when I’m using the Hydro Boost range, I use the alcohol-free toner. It doesn’t strip the moisturiser I’ve put into my skin.

I use a toner soaked cotton round and gently wipe it over my face. Focusing on areas where my pores are the largest.

This squidgy tube has a metal ball that rolls around and spreads the product under the eye. Because the ball is cold, it works really well at soothing the puffiness that happens in the morning around the eyes. You can also use cold spoons to reduce redness and morning eye puff. To start with I didn’t think this product really did anything, but it actually makes me look more awake. The actual product itself is really nice and it helps greatly to moisturise my under eye area, which in turn makes makeup look so much nicer. It doesn’t take long for the cream to set and it works well underneath other products.

SPF is something I’ve only recently been trying to incorporate into my skincare routine. It may not seem like such a big deal because we’re coming into winter now, but being in Australia with a high UV rating year round. You can never be too careful when it comes to protecting your skin. This is quite a thick product but blends into skin very easy.

I’ve talked about this product before and I still feel the same way. It gives my skin hydration without weighing it down and if used daily adds radiance and glow to the skin and makes it super soft to the touch. It has a fresh scent that reminds me of cherry medicine. The fragrance has never made me break out. Letting this product sink into the skin makes for such a smooth makeup application.

This is the last step in my daily routine. I pat all the products into my face and then let them soak into my skin for about 10 minutes. This is a good time to have breakfast, brush teeth, or just sit in your towel from having a shower (I have done this on many occasion). I find that the products don’t linger on the skin or form a greasy film. They add a layer of protection between makeup and bare skin. I find that makeup applies really well and because of all the prep my skin has just gotten, I can wear more ‘matte’ finish products and powder my face to set things without the fear of anything clinging to my dry patches (basically my whole face.

Makeup

Don’t mind the goofy face. I find that because the skin is so drenched in moisturising products, it gives my face a ‘healthy glow from within’ finish. Products blend so effortlessly into my skin once I put in the prep work!

Night
Makeup Removal

After a full day of makeup wear, my face is looking a bit less cute. My lipstick is basically gone and my eyeliner is starting to wear away and its just time to take it off. I always go over my face first with a makeup removing face wipe. I know that these aren’t going to remove all of the makeup, but for me its a good first step.

I then go in with micellar water and cotton rounds. I’m currently using my favourite micellar water by Garnier. I love this so much. It doesn’t irritate my skin or eyes, doesn’t dry me out and it takes away basically all remaining makeup deep in my pores and brows, effortlessly!

I then cleanse and tone just like in the morning routine, but instead of the other steps, I use different products.

If I was only able to purchase one product from the collection, I think it’d have to be this one. I’ve used it with other skincare and obviously in conjunction with the rest of the Hydro Boost range and I love it. This is my favourite night cream for super hydration! Using this cream at night makes my skin feel so soft and supple in the morning. I think its really important to keep up hydration while you sleep. Its like fixing your skin while you’re doing nothing. WINNER!

I always make sure to blend everything down my neck. Even if I’m not putting makeup all the way down my neck, I think keeping your entire face and décolletage area well hydrated is super important. Especially if you’re prone to dry skin, and to maybe prevent premature ageing.

Now, I’m not one to do ‘Monthly Favourites’, I love reading them, but I just suck at doing them. Which is kinda sad because I love sharing products that I’m currently loving. Today I’m here to share with you some products that I like that go on my face! Surprisingly there are a lot of highlighters in this lot of stuff, I didn’t expect that to happen. But I’m glad it did, I’m really excited to share with you some of my favourite ‘face’ products!

Unbeknownst to me at the time, but I kind of organised this photo into groups. The first three on the left side are for more of a dewy look, the three on the right side are more matte. The bottom two are liquid/cream products, then the next middle two are ‘primer’-esque products and the top two are liquid foundations. The column through the middle is powder. I honestly just threw it all together for the one photo. I think it worked out alright. It serves its purpose.

Prime:

Priming my face is something that I’ve recently started to make a beauty habit. Since discovering Kismet Jardin and working with them, using the Hydra Gem under my foundation has become apart of my morning routine. You can read my full review of it here. It works so well under foundation, for me being of the dry skin type using this product allows me to wear matte finish foundations without it clinging to my dry spots!

The QV Matte finish oil free moisturiser is a new product that was only released in stores April 1st. I didn’t know if it was going to be a good fit for me because I do have dry skin, but using this product on top of the Kismet Jardin Hydra Gem allows me to use super dewy finish foundations. I never knew that priming my face would have such benefits to the look and wear of my entire face of makeup. I now can’t live without these two products!

Foundation:

I’d been a lover of the L’Oreal True Match in the original formula for quite a while but sadly the finish clings to some of my dry spots, I finally make the decision to purchase the Lumi version of the foundation and it is perfection! I use this on top of the Hydra Gem and Matte moisturiser together and it gives my face the most flawless finish! I love this foundation so much and can see myself repurchasing it over and over!

The Maybelline foundation is something that I’d heard a lot about but had never picked up, but in the 40%off Cosmetics Priceline sale and I’m glad I did. I can wear this on top of the Hydra Gem and not even have to powder on top! It has such a nice natural finish. It lasts a really long time and doesn’t break down or separate which is a winner in anyones book. The shade I have is a little bit pink for me but I can get away with it, which is good because I’ve been using this foundation a lot lately and I don’t want to live without it.

Australis’ fresh and flawless face powder is a cult classic. I’ve been using it for years, and I’m never disappointed. It glides effortlessly over liquid foundation to add some extra coverage and to set. It also works so well on its own when I’m having those rare ‘good skin days’. I own it in a few shades and use them all at once. It is such an affordable product for everyday use!

Highlighters/Illuminators

There are a few here that are in my daily use rotation. A mix of different formulas and a wide range in brands, I’m really excited to share with you these products. From left to right the brands are: Williams Pro Makeup, Vani-T, Tarte and Face of Australia.

You can see here that there are different shades and vary in luminosity and glow. I use them all so much and would love for you to try some of these products!

Williams Pro: #SelfieGlo
This beautiful little diamond tub holds a loose pigment like highlighter that can be used all over the body. I’ve used it on the cheeks and cupids bow, as well as a brow highlight even as an eye shadow. It is gorgeous. It has a duo chrome finish to it from a pearly white to a warm pinky red/orange/gold? it sounds strange but it reflects the colours in your skin tone so well to make it look very natural. This product can be layered for more intensity, too. I really like to spray my brush with MAC fix+ and apply this as an eye shadow. It is so pretty!

Vani-T: Mineral Colour Stick – Ivory
I got sent this product by a mix up, but I’m happy to have it in my collection. I fell in love with Vani-T products after the Bloggers United AU Adelaide event and since then I’ve purchased more products, but this colour stick is such a beautiful warm highlight shade. It blends into the skin like butter, it is absolutely gorgeous. Because it is a cream product, you can set it with a powder highlight and it makes everything absolutely pop! I LOVE this product and will probably purchase some more of the colour sticks. They’re universal!

Tarte: Rainforest of the Sea ‘Skin Twinkle’ lighting palette:
I picked this up in the 40% off Tarte sale a little while back and to say I was excited was an understatement! The two shades swatched here are: (L-R) Sunlight (champagne gold) and Moonlight (rosy pearl). These are so pretty and perfect for daily glow but as always, like all highlighters can be layered for intensity. The products are so smooth they look and feel like cream, but they are powder and some of the finest powders I own. The shade in the middle is a matte shade that I use for setting my under eye area. You can see the dent taken out of it, I really do like that powder. (its not swatched though).

Face of Australia: Mineral Therapy Illuminator – Angel Mist
You can mix this in with your foundation for an all over dewy glow, use it as an all over face primer for that ‘back lit’ glow from within look, or tapped on the cheeks bones and other ‘general highlight’ areas. It blends so easy. It is a liquid product so a little goes a long way! Its a pinky / pearl / shell illuminator and it does a great job of bringing out that natural glow.

And there you have it! These are some of the products that I’ve been really liking so far! If you want an in-depth review on any of the products in this blog, just ask and I’ll get to it!

Target/Aim: ‘… to provide long lasting moisture to help skin look hydrated, radiant and glowing’

Skin Type: Suited for Dry Skin but aimed at any skin that needs moisture.

Smell: The smell is somewhat like cherry medicine scent – like the rest of the Hydro Boost range. It doesn’t linger nor do I find it unpleasant.

Texture: Each is a stretchy cloth mask that feels slippery and like gel.

Colour: White and the gel is clear.

Directions: “To use, remove mask and unfold gently stretching the fabric cloth to cover your entire face, press lightly with finger tips to set in place and relax for 15 minute allowing the essence nourish your skin. Ideal for use at night, once the fabric mask is removed the concentrated formula works beneath the skin to continuously hydrate whilst you sleep.”

What the packaging says:

Use after cleansing, open pack, take out mask and unfold.
Gently stretch the mask leftwards and rightward to cover your entire face.
Press lightly with fingertips to set in place over face. Relax for 15mins and remove mask. Manage remaining maskhydrating essence on face. There is no need to rinse off the essence. Discard the sheet after use. Ideal for use at night.

New Information:

Application: I’m getting better at applying it now. I’m not being so delicate with it and I’m really impressed at how it hasn’t ripped.

Dry Time: I kept this mask on for 20 – 25 minutes

5 mins in: Still haven’t gotten used to the cold shock of when I apply it. But because I was just relaxing playing xbox and not really moving my mouth etc around much, I didn’t have an issue with the moustache strip becoming loose.

10 mins in: Still nice and stuck to my face!

Just before removal: Once I felt like I’d had enough of the mask, I simply peeled it off. Easy Peasy!

Removal process: Easy Peasy!

Instant results: My skin felt super nice and squidgy, like always.

10 mins after: I wanted to see how well this mask worked with other products so I used the night cream from the Hydro Boost line with this mask. It felt so good!

Next morning: I think because I used the night cream as well, my skin was just in hydro heaven.

Visible change: Skin is very supple. No dry areas.

I’m becoming desensitised by the freaky-ness of this mask. I really love the Hydro-Boost sheet masks. Used in conjunction with the other products from this line I can see that my skin will just love me for it.

I used the night and day moisturiser this time with the mask and can’t wait to do a review of all the products at once! They’re perfect for people with dry skin or just anyone who needs a moisture boost! With winter coming up I think a moisturising mask once a week can really improve things!

I’ll be doing a full review on the range soon!

Tonight I played some xbox with my partner. We played a few games – it was really fun. One in particular called ‘Cactus’ that I really liked. It reminds me of ‘Hero’s Duty’ from Wreck it Ralf mixed with ‘Sugar Rush’ also from WiR. The characters are all super cute girls with guns and its a basic top down shooter game. I think I might do a review of it. So keep an eye out for that in the future if you’re interested.

Here are a few photos from the game. Its really fun and easy to play for someone who might not be as experienced.

I went in with high hopes and came out with low funds. Priceline, you’ve done it again!

If you’re still recovering from the madness that is the Priceline 40% off Cosmetics Sale, I don’t blame you, my girls and I (Sarah & Zoe) did a little pub-crawl style shopping spree. I hit up 4 stores to pick up a bargain and I am pretty happy with what I came out with. I’d made a list and I stuck to it. If I couldn’t get something I didn’t try and spend my money on something else in store. (I spend it on ice cream like an adult).

This is what I picked up in the sale!

After making my list on what I was aiming to get I hit up foundations first!

L’Oreal Paris Lumi Magique Light Infusing Foundation – Shade: N1 Pure Pearl$34.95 / $20.97
I’ve used this foundation and even though it looks darker than the rest it actually matches me perfectly! (which is strange) Those yellow undertones though… I’m not sure if this made me oily though (ALSO STRANGE BECAUSE MY FACE IS LIKE A DESERT) but I used a lot of cream products and didn’t really set my foundation with powder as much as I usually would so I’ll have to play around. From the one time I’ve used it, apart from those minor issues I really liked it!

Maybelline Super Stay 24hr Long Wear Foundation – Shade: 05 Light Beige$24.95 / 14.97
I’ve not used this yet, but I have used Maybelline foundations in the past and really like them – so I’m keen to give this a go!

Rimmel London Lasting Finish 25 hr Full Cover Foundation – Shade 101 Light$18.95 / $11.37I picked up this foundation because it is my daily – go to foundation. It is a little on the lighter side because the next shade up is just too dark for me, but it mixes really well with other foundations if I need to lighten them and the coverage is great!

Next stop was concealers! I don’t wear a lot of concealer and it is something that I want to start branching out and using. Here’s the ones I picked up:

Rimmel London Match Perfection Concealer – Shade: 101 Ivory$13.95 / $8.37This is one of my go to concealers. I don’t have a favourite concealer but this one seems to work really well when I use it!

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser – Shade Fair$18.95 / $11.37I’ve heard really good things about this concealer from friends who use it and I’ve always been wanting to try it but whenever I go to get it its always sold out – that must mean its good, right? I’ve used this once already and really like it! I can’t wait to keep using it to see if it continues to impress me.

I only bought two items that I don’t classify as ‘base’ products and these are the new Revlon Ultra HD Lip Colours. I only got two shades – I know I’ll wear these. They’re not on the Priceline website so I can’t remember what the original price is so I’ll estimate it based on the 40% discount.

Revlon Ultra HD Lip Colour – Shade: 610 Addiction (berry) Shade: 635 Passion (red)$23.00 (approx) / $14.37These were a little bit pricier than I thought, so I’m glad I only got too. From swatching them the formula looks really nice and wearable. I haven’t tried them on the lips yet so I’m yet to have a decent review. I’m pretty keen to try them though!

The last thing I picked up is the cream version of a powder highlight trio I already own. The creams are lighter than the powders and I’m curious as to how good their staying power is.

Models Prefer Radience/Collection Ultimate Illuminating Palette – Type: Cream$12.99 / $7.99I’m really into the whole ‘strobing’ trend lately. I like having glowy skin and I really hope I can make this product work.

Thats it! I had the best day shopping with my friends, we went out for lunch, shopped our little legs off and then went out for ice cream because we deserved it! Did you get anything in the Priceline sale? If so link it below I’d love to check it out!

The mask I will be focussing on for April is the ‘Beauty Essentials Renewed Peel-Off Facial Mask’. Beauty Essentials (BE) is an affordable brand and I’m pretty sure its exclusive to Priceline. I love peel masks and I’m pretty excited to give this a go and let you guys know my thoughts!

Smell: There isn’t really a smell, although it does kind of smell like glue. The scent is meant to be ‘pomegranate’ but I don’t smell it at all.

Texture: Thick, sticky, smooth.

Colour: Bright Pink!

Directions: “Cleanse face with your favourite BE Cleanser, and dry in preparation for the mask. Apply a thin, even layer of the mask to yourface and neck, avoiding the delicate eye area, lips and hair. Leave the mask on to dry for around 15 minutes or until completely dry.Once dry gently peel away the mask from the face.Do not pull away quickly.Wash off any remaining pieces of the maskwith warm water.Pat face and neck dry. Use once weekly or as required.”

What the packaging says:

“A refreshing Peel-Off Facial Mask which works to remove dead skin cells from the skin’s surface and unclog pores to reveal a freshand radiant complexion. Includes Pomegranate extract, known for its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and for fightingfree radicals in the skin, and Vitamin E for its soothing and smoothing effects.”

Pre Thoughts:

I’ve not used this yet but I’m pretty keen to. I do enjoy a good peel mask and I hope I’ll like this one! I’ll be using it once a week as that is what is recommended. I am however a little worried that I might have some slight irritations because I have dry skin but we’ll just have to see! The fact that it kinda smells like glue is a little worrying too, but I’m sure it’ll be fine, right? Right?!

Let me know if you’ve ever used a peel mask, or even if you’ve used this mask and tell me what your experiences were with it!